This invention relates to animal identification tags and, more particularly, to a stand-up type tag assembly of the type disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,353, the disclosure of which is specifically incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention provides a two-piece tag assembly which is particularly well suited to fast and easy application to the ear of an animal. One of the problems with prior art animal tags is the difficulty in attaching the tags to the animal in a manner which is relatively quick and easy while not causing undue injury to the animal and while resulting in permanent attachment to the animal.
The present invention comprises a two-piece tag assembly wherein there are two one-piece members of molded plastic material. The identification member comprises an identification flange portion providing front and rear identification surfaces, a base portion, and a connecting flange portion extending therebetween, the identification member being made of relatively soft highly flexible plastic material such as urethane 80A to 100A Shore hardness. The identification flange portion is laterally offset to one side of the base portion and a reinforcement rib connects the base portion to the connecting flange portion with a relatively small connecting hole extending therethrough and laterally offset from the identification flange portion. The connecting member is preferably made of relatively hard high strength plastic material such as 30% glass filled Nylon 6 and comprises a head portion mounted on the smallest diameter end of a multiple diameter shaft portion extending outwardly from a base portion with the base portion adapted to be located against the inner surface of the animal ear, the shaft portion extending through the animal ear and the connecting hole in the base portion of the identification member, and the head portion retainingly abuttingly engaging the upper outer facing surface of the reinforcement rib to hold the identification member in an upright position on the animal ear.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the connecting member is relatively easily insertable through the hole in the base of the identification member and thereafter cannot be removed except by forces far in excess of the insertion force. Another advantage is the location of the base portion relative to the identification flange portion when the tag assembly is mounted on the animal so that engagement between the identification portion of the identification member and a foreign object, such as a fence wire, will not result in application of force along the center line of the shaft of the connecting member. In addition, when the identification flange portion is located in a generally forwardly facing position on the ear, it will be flexibly rearwardly bent over so as to cover the connecting head portion and thereby decrease the chance of snagging on a wire or other object. Furthermore, in the present arrangement, there are no holes or openings in the identification flange portion in which to snag any foreign object and the entire front and rear surfaces of the flange portion including the solid one piece connecting portion are solid throughout to reduce the likelihood of failure of the identification portion under load. In addition, the arrangement of the connecting flange portion and the base portion is such as to facilitate assembly and to increase the strength of the assembly to prevent accidental disassembly or breakage in use. In this connection, the thickness of the base portion at the reinforcement rib provides an attachment hole of sufficient strength to prevent accidental withdrawal of the attachment member through the hole after assembly. In addition, the diameter of the attachment hole and the diameter of the shaft portion are such as to enable relatively easy insertion while also providing more than sufficient retention force. Also the construction of the shaft portion of the connecting member readily accomodates ear growth after attachment of the tag assembly.